The Choir of Man | Sunderland Empire | 12th May 2026
Review by Stephen Stokoe
I had seen this show advertised many times on my trips to the West End of London and was intrigued by it but until this week had never managed to see it. When it was announced that the show would tour the UK in 2026, I was delighted and my name was first on the list when it appeared on the schedule for the Sunderland Empire. I am so pleased I got to see this remarkable piece of theatre in the north east where the local pub is the traditional hub of life and in many cases is the only place where people can escape their increasingly hard and busy lives.
The audience is welcomed warmly into ‘The Dragon’ even before the show starts and are welcomed to join the incredibly hard-working cast on stage for a pre-show pint. The playlist rock ballads and pop classics playing in the background really add to the bustling energy of a local spit and sawdust pub which are sadly declining in numbers by the day due to brewery owned chains and wealthy conglomerates undercutting the traditional boozer.
The Choir of Man tries, and for my money succeeds in reminding us all of what this Great British tradition means and the service that it offers our communities in a period of time when this is needed the most. The ‘regulars’ of this particular pub including the wonderfully accurate landlord (Joshua Lloyd) are excellent characterisations of the type of guys who rely on these establishments not just for a pint of beer and a bag of pork scratchings. In many cases it is their entire social life where they form life-long bonds that endure through the good times and the bad.
The most vocal of these is ‘The Poet’ (Oluwalonimi (Nimi) Owoyemi) who introduces us to all the characters including ‘The Maestro’ (Gustav Melbardis) a virtuoso pianist whose love for tickling the ivories was somewhat diminished by his love of a lager, The Bore (Aaron Pottenger) who was anything but, The Handyman (Jack Skelton) whose astonishing aptitude for tap wowed the audience on more than one occasion. Every bar has a joker (Ben Mabberley) whose wind-ups and practical jokes keep them all on their toes, the hard man (Levi Tyrell Johnson) and the romantic (Sam Walter) who have stories of their own to tell. I am not going to miss anyone out so the cast is completed by the swings Lewis Dragisic, returning north east panto star Sam Ebenezer, Jared Leathwood, and Niall Woodson.
For anyone who has been in an old fashioned public house, you will see and be able to identify one or more of these characters up and down the land and that is what makes this production so special. Everyone can identify with them – especially the half of the audience who would use a urinal. I only mention this because of a particular scene which the appreciative audience found extremely amusing.
This show is very interactive. As mentioned The Dragon is open, serves the audience on the stage, gives away pints of beer (probably the least accurate part of the proceedings) and there are games of chance and entertainment to boot – all of which are mainstays in the traditional classic British boozer.
The set by Oli Townsend and Verity Sadler (who also designed the costumes) is exactly what you would expect if you tottered unwittingly into a pub in a British town. The lighting (Richard Dinnen) is definitely a lot more intricate ranging from subtle to full on rave depending on the music being performed at the time. This all adds to the ambience and the joy of the piece.
In terms of a story – The Choir of Man does not really have one. It is simply a night in the pub with your mates and a joyous celebration of it. The vocal performances of the cast are outstanding and when they sing en-masse in close multi-part harmony it is simply divine. As part of the production of this UK tour the company has also reached out to local choirs to take part on the opening night at each venue so the audience tonight was treated to a performance by four local choirs and the cast in a reprise of “Chandelier” which brought tears to my eyes.
This show originated at the Edinburgh Festival in 2019 and has since toured the world and it tells of things that we may take for granted but will certainly regret losing should the trend continue of these hubs of the community closing at an alarming rate.
The other message that comes over loud and clear – this is a celebration of men. Not men who have accumulated vast amounts of wealth. Not men who spend their waking hours in the gym toning their abs, never miss leg day, and objectify the fairer sex. This is just men, as I know them, who have a laugh, have problems in their lives but have a moral code which is designed, developed and lived out in camaraderie, good natured ribbing and banter, and a pint down the pub for a job well done.
You will recognise every single one of the songs in the show and you may well have heard them sung (probably not as well) in your local boozer. Many of them have been beautifully arranged (Jack Blume) for this very special night at the pub.
You do not want to miss your opportunity to listen to, commiserate with, and enjoy the company of The Choir of Man. This is entertainment at its finest. This is a feel-good party with heart, soul, and several rounds of beer-fueled joy. Cheers!